Update in Fotos

BASTA YA, the theater production with the Youth Group Fantasicos Amigos, at the Orphanage SOS Aldea Infantil about Violence and Issues that Face Guatemala in Today's World.

Painting and Organizing in the Library, and lots of cleaning!

The Library is now painted, all the bookshelves are cleaned and sparkling like new again, over 1,000 have been categorized in the Dewey Decimal System and we have many more to go, Britannica has donated a full 20 volume encyclopedia which Brian Gouldman will be shipping here asap, Outreach for World Hope has made an enormous contribution of $1,400 to buy a fotocopier and other resources and donated a couch/chair set for a place to sit and read comfortably, Save the Children has donated a Childrens Corner with books, games, carpet and lots of pillows! And of course the HUNDREDS of books you all back home have donated through Amazon and sent in cash donations.  The Library is looking fabulous as each day we work getting everything ready.  By this Friday I hope to have pictures of more or less the final product!  I'd like to have the inaguration the September 10th, but I don't have confirmation on that just yet.

More photos to come, my camera just ran out of battery to upload them :(

Miss you all,

Peace,

Love,

Robin

So much to tell!

I have been so busy here!  I didn't even post in the whole month of July!  Just so you know I'm alive and doing better than ever.  I have so much news.

View of the Copan River that goes through Jocotan

First, the library. We are painting!!!! it's an act of God.  When you least expect it, great things happen.  Save the Children, an international NGO is donating a bebeteca (a library section for babies!) and had funds to paint.  Initially they were only budgeted to paint their section, but after seeing the place and me begging them, they found an extra few gallons of paint and now the Mayor (of all people!) sent municipal workers to paint it.  Hopefully they will be done tomorrow or the next day.  It's a BRIGHT lime green, and I love it. It's full of energy and definately changes the space completely.  Then, last Friday I got an email from Outreach for World Hope say that they not only fundraised the amount they had pledged to buy the photocopier, but more than doubled it and now are sending $1,400 in donations!  Then, on top of that I talked to the MANCOMUNIDAD (a local organization here in Jocotan) today and they are going to pay for and install internet for the computers!
The community meeting we had went well, and working with USAID and the Reiken Foundation is a dream come true.  They really know their stuff and so motivated.  I'm just praying that they extend the library/reading programs with us for next few years so that this library will really have a good base for success.


In other news, the orphanage is going great as well.  This Friday we will be presenting three short plays the kids wrote based on the theme of citizen awareness against violence.  The event is called "BASTA YA!" and will speak about the issues of drug addiction, prostituction, gangs, the police, robbery, and injustice.  I remind you, 10-14 year old kids wrote these plays on their own.  I think it's going to be a very powerful and important event to talk about these problems in Guatemala today.  Your all invited, just in case you happen to be around Chiquimula :-)

This week I am also very busy with coordinating classes in the village of Tesoro Abajo.  The classes are to teach about maintinance and care for your outhouse and health.  This is part of a project the local community council is soliciting with the government for new outhouses for 150 familias in their village.  I helped them write the proposal and have been the liason between the government agency and the community but after these classes they will be on their own, and hopefully the project is setup for completion the following year.

Other than all that, I have my close of service conference next week and will be in Antigua Monday thru Friday doing medical appointments and filling out paperwork to return back to the United States of America! wahoo!  I'll be home by Thanksgiving everyone, and I want to see you all.

Hopefully I'll have another chance soon to write more, I have much more to tell still but it's already getting late here so I need to get home.


Peace, Love,
Robin

Check out more about Chiquimula (this weekend is the town fair) at: http://www.chiquimulaonline.com/
and the Orphanage I do my kids group with: http://www.chiquimulaonline.com/sos/

Library, 4 monthes left

ok, I've started the countdown, 4 monthes... sometimes it seems like it's gone by so fast.  This Thursday I am meeting with the town council, the library, USAID, and some local residents to begin programs and work finally in the library!  This is very exciting because, well... if you've been reading this blog you know I have been very patient and frustrated with this whole process taking so long.  But we are finally getting somewhere on all fronts.  I am still recieving books and donations and have 6 computers ready to be set up for a virtual library.  The USAID program is working with the Dept. of Education Nationally and Regionally here in Chiquimula, and also with the Reiken Foundation which has 3 techs who are specialized in library functions and organization. 

We are first organizing and documenting each existing book (I already started this but there is still a lot to do) and teaching the librarian how to be a librarian.  Then we are chaning the space around, improving it for users and the books.  Reading/writting programs will begin as soon as possible after that.

I'm still working with the youth group at the orphanage which is going well.  This week we are dicussing the problem of violence in Jocotan to find a solution and sign a Promise Act against violence.

The San Juan Ermita Fair is this weekend, I know Kristy (the volunteer who was there) will be missed this year.  I'm going to try to go to see our friend Leo and eat the famous Tortillas de Harina that they make there. yum! =)

Guatemala Disaster

So for those of you who haven't heard about it on the news, Volcano Pacaya erupted last Thursday leaving ash all over the capital, Guatemala City, then on Saturday a huge tropical storm, Agatha, came through flooding a major part of the country.  This has left landslides, a giant sink hole, fallen bridges, lots of mud, and the airport closed for almost a week.  I luckily? was out of the country visiting some friends and couldn't return until today.  For pictures of the catostrophe you can go to http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/06/a_rough_week_for_guatemala.html

I've heard my house and town are fine and were minorly effected.  The capital has been a disaster.  Right now I'm just trying to make my way back to Jocotan, hopefully arriving tomorrow or the next day.  I'll keep you updated on further news once I get there.

Peace, Love,
Robin

New News

First off, I just want to say Thank-you to the people who still read this blog. I've been gone a long time and I'm glad I haven't been forgotten just yet ;)

Also, thank you very much for the books we have been recieving for the library project. It is always growing and will be a great success here. In recent news I haven't recieved any further confirmation from USAID or the muni on find the funding to restore the building, although I have a meeting this Friday in the capital where I'll learn about some new library electronic resources. The meeting is hosted by USAID so I'm hoping to check with them personally about the project then.

Since each day seems to be going by faster, and I have less and less time here I have also begun looking for Plan B, which is looking better every day. Plan B is to do the same thing I want to do now but instead of in the Municipal Library, complete the project in the Oraphange Community right outside town. Last Friday, when I was there for my Youth Group, I noticed they have a room with books and so I asked the secretary about it. Aparently they have a library, but basically not enough books or computers for it to function, soooo this project would be great there as well and the people who work there are very motivated and great to coordiante with. So for a Plan B, I think it's a pretty good option.

One of the great lessons from Peace Corps, have a Plan B and be patient and flexible, and patient, and strong, and still more patient... Nothing, especially not in Guatemala, changes in a day.

In other news I made cake and watched movies in my house this weekend, it was great.  The kids in the picture are wearing the traditional local dress for the Folklore Festival that was last weekend. =)

Peace, Love,
Robin

Amazon Book List

I still have some high priority books on the Amazon Wish List, here's the link:

http://amzn.com/w/3LEFGDRF2T287





I'm also looking for headphones for the Digital Encyclopedia, which are only $5, or you can send me your old ones for free!
http://www.cdw.com/shop/products/default.aspx?EDC=382512

May, Can it get any hotter?

So May has just begun and I'm still sweating like a little piggy. I thought April would bring enough rain to cool us down a little but it doesn't seem like it has at all. Now it's just getting humid, which as we all know is worse. On the up side we have electricity this week! Last week there were about 3-4 days where it flickered on and off. And unfortunately my running water is the color of poop because of the run-off of soil and actual poop into the river that feeds the public water. Awesome, I know.

For some good news, I've started working with a youth group at the local orphanage. The kids are great, man do they have a lot of energy. We voted on our group name, we are the Fantastic Amigos, and we're making a big flag this week and tye dying t-shirts. They are almost all in 5th or 6th grade, and want to play a lot of sports. I hope I can keep up with them! The theme of the group is "being a good citizen" so we will dabble in politics, do community clean-up projects, and generally try to be as democratic and fun as possible.

I'm uploading photos right now on webshots from my trip to Tikal in March and of the mural I was working on in the Childrens malnutricion rehabilitation center. The mural still isn't finished on one wall because I need more green paint, but it's look really nice and I'm pretty proud of it.


I also just got back from the yearly trip to El Salvador with my Muni for Labor Day. Six hours in a van each way and they don't let you sleep or they paint your face with lipstick, I think of it as like a frat hazing each year... (Drew, you know what I'm talking about.) The weather there was actually overcast which was really nice and everyone had a good time.

This month I have plans to continue fighting for the library as always, youth group activities, meetings with the community leaders in the villages, and soliciting a letrine project in Chiquimula. Oh! and I just realized it's Mother's Day this Sunday so maybe I can make cards or something with my kids for their house mothers... and Happy Mother's Day to my mom, the best ever! hugs and kisses, mom!

peace, love,
Robin